One of the most persistent and troublesome problems arising during modern fabric laundering operations is the tendency of some colored fabrics to release dye into the laundering solutions. The dye is then transferred onto other fabrics being washed therewith.
One way of over coming this problem would be to bleach the dyes washed out of dyed fabrics before they have the. opportunity to become attached to other articles in the wash.
Suspended or solubilized dyes can to some degree be oxidized in solution by employing known bleaching agents. However, it is important at the same time not to bleach the dyes actually remaining on the fabrics, that is, not to cause color damage.
Other solutions to this dye transfer problem include: (1) the use of an oxidizing bleaching agent together with catalytic compounds such as iron porphins; (2) the use of peroxidases and oxidases for the oxidation of organic or inorganic substances, including colored substances; (3) the use of an enzymatic system capable of generating hydrogen peroxide and iron catalysts; (4) the use of an additive capable of exerting a bleaching effect containing various enzymes such as peroxidase, lipase, protease, amylase and cellulase; and (5) the use of polymers such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone which encapsulate dye.
While the use of such compounds as polyvinyl pyrrolidone may serve to inhibit dye transfer to some extent, these components lend nothing to the detergency (cleaning) properties of the detergent compositions in which they are present.
It has been surprisingly found, however, that by employing specific surfactants as additives in a laundry detergent composition, both dye transfer inhibition and improved detergency properties may be obtained.